System and method for concealing information associated with a physical mail package

Abstract

A system and method for concealing information associated with a physical mail package. A standardized schema defining a set of roles is maintained. A public-private key pair is generated for each role. A dataset corresponding to the package is received, including data elements associated with the roles. Data access locations are assigned to each data element and encrypted using the public keys of the corresponding roles. machine-readable codes are generated for each encrypted access location and printed on the package. User devices associated with the roles can scan the codes and use the private keys to decrypt the access locations and obtain the data elements for their respective roles.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A system for concealing information associated with a physical mail package, the system comprising:
 a memory; and 
 a processor coupled to the memory, wherein the processor is configured to execute programmed instructions stored in the memory to:
 maintaining a standardized schema, wherein the standardized schema defines a set of roles, wherein a public-private key pair is generated corresponding to each role from the set of roles; 
 receiving a dataset, corresponding to a physical mail package, from a client application, wherein the dataset comprises information corresponding to a set of data elements, wherein at least one data element, from the set of data elements, corresponds to a role from the set of roles, wherein the set of roles comprises a sender role, a carrier role, and a receiver role; 
 assigning a data access location to each data element from the set of data elements, wherein the data access location is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), wherein the URL maintains information corresponding to at least one of a sender, a receiver, and a carrier; 
 generating an encrypted data access location by processing each data element corresponding to each role from the set of roles based on a public key corresponding to each role from the set of roles respectively; 
 generating a set of machine-scannable codes corresponding to each of the encrypted data access locations; and 
 printing the set of machine-scannable codes over the physical mail package, wherein the private-key from the public-private key pair associated with a target role is stored on a user device, and wherein the user device is configured to scan a target machine-scannable code corresponding to the target role, and decrypt an encrypted target data access location to obtain the at least one data element corresponding to the target role. 
 
 
     
     
       2. The system as claimed in  claim 1  is further configured for
 selecting a sender's geographical location from the dataset in respect of the physical mail packet; 
 determining the geo-coordinates of the sender's geographical location; 
 generating a first URL pointing to the geo-coordinates of the sender's address, wherein the first URL is associated with the sender role; 
 selecting the receiver's geographical location from the dataset in respect of the physical mail packet; 
 determining the geo-coordinates of the receiver's geographical location; and 
 generating a second URL pointing to the geo-coordinates of the receiver's address, wherein the second URL is associated with the receiver role. 
 
     
     
       3. The system as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein each machine-scannable code, from the set of machine-scannable codes, is generated by
 hashing the first URL pointing to the data element in respect of the physical mail packet; and 
 generating a QR code representing the hash. 
 
     
     
       4. The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the client application is a mobile application installed on a user device. 
     
     
       5. The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein each participant in a physical mail packet journey is assigned a separate role, and wherein a public-private key pair for each role is generated, and wherein the public-key is stored in the dataset and the private-key is stored on a device of a user who is assigned the role corresponding to the public-private key pair. 
     
     
       6. The system as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a machine-scannable code, from the set of machine-scannable codes, is a QR code. 
     
     
       7. A method for concealing information associated with a physical mail package, the method comprising steps of:
 maintaining, by a processor, a standardized schema, wherein the standardized schema defines a set of roles, wherein a public-private key pair is generated corresponding to each role from the set of roles; 
 receiving, by the processor, a dataset, corresponding to a physical mail package, from a client application, wherein the dataset comprises information corresponding to a set of data elements, wherein at least one data element, from the set of data elements, corresponds to a role from the set of roles, wherein the set of roles comprises a sender role, a carrier role, and a receiver role; 
 assigning, by the processor, a data access location to each data element from the set of data elements, wherein the data access location is a Uniform Resource Locator (URL), wherein the URL maintains information corresponding to at least one of a sender, a receiver, and a carrier; 
 generating, by the processor, an encrypted data access location by processing each data element corresponding to each role from the set of roles based on a public key corresponding to each role from the set of roles respectively; 
 generating, by the processor, a set of machine-scannable codes corresponding to each of the encrypted data access locations; and 
 printing, by the processor, the set of machine-scannable codes over the physical mail package, wherein the private-key from the public-private key pair associated with a target role is stored on a user device, and wherein the user device is configured to scan a target machine-scannable code corresponding to the target role and decrypt an encrypted target data access location to obtain the at least one data element corresponding to the target role. 
 
     
     
       8. The method as claimed in  claim 7 , is further configured for
 selecting, by the processor, a sender's geographical location from the dataset in respect of the physical mail packet; 
 determining, by the processor, the geo-coordinates of the sender's geographical location; 
 generating, by the processor, a first URL pointing to the geo-coordinates of the sender's address, wherein the first URL is associated with the sender role; 
 selecting, by the processor, the receiver's geographical location from the dataset in respect of the physical mail packet; 
 determining, by the processor, the geo-coordinates of the receiver's geographical location; and 
 generating, by the processor, a second URL pointing to the geo-coordinates of the receiver's address, wherein the second URL is associated with the receiver role. 
 
     
     
       9. The method as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein each machine-scannable code from the set of machine-scannable codes, is generated by
 hashing the first URL pointing to the data element in respect of the physical mail packet; and 
 generating a QR code representing the hash. 
 
     
     
       10. The method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein a machine-scannable code, from the set of machine-scannable codes, is a QR code. 
     
     
       11. The method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the client application is a mobile application installed on a user device. 
     
     
       12. The method as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein each participant in a physical mail packet journey is assigned a separate role, and wherein a public-private key pair for each role is generated, and wherein the public-key is stored in the dataset and the private-key is stored on a device of a user who is assigned the role corresponding to the public-private key pair.